ROASTED RED ONION FLOWERS

Roasted Red Onion Flowers image

Provided by Laurie David

Yield Serves 6-8

Number Of Ingredients 5

6 medium red onions or sweet onions (such as Walla Walla), skin on, roots intact
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt (smoked is delicious here)
Herbs-either a few bay leaves or a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Make a total of 4 vertical cuts in each onion to create 8 wedges still attached at the root end.
Drizzle a little of the olive oil into a baking dish, then arrange onions root end down.
Spoon remaining olive oil into and around onions. Sprinkle generously with salt, getting some into the center of the onions. Toss in herbs.
Roast for 40 minutes. Rearrange onions so that their petals open, and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the caramelized onion juices from the pan. Roast until onions are tender on the inside with crispy bits on their outer petals, about 20 minutes longer. Season with pepper and more salt to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature as a side dish, or as dinner with a good cheese and a green salad.